1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image transmission apparatus and, more particularly, to an image transmission apparatus that transmits an image by facsimile transmission and sends additions or corrections related to the received image back to the sender.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional facsimile transmission system, where a received image is sent back after additions or corrections have been made thereto, the received image is first of all output on record paper by a facsimile. Additions or corrections are made on the record paper, and the thus-added or corrected image is read and sent back again by the facsimile.
If these procedures are repeated, the image quality is degraded each time the procedures are repeated, which renders the details of the image illegible.
To prevent this problem, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. Sho-58-39161 discloses a facsimile image transfer system. In this system, a sender sends an original image. A receiver superimposes additions on a received image using a synthesizer. The thus-superimposed image is sent back to the sender.
In the above-described conventional facsimile image transmission system, the image that is synthesized by superimposing the received image on the received image to which additions have been made is sent back. As a result, the amount of image data to be sent back becomes massive, which in turn results in increased communication time and cost.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide an image transmission apparatus capable of reducing communication time and cost by minimizing the data size of an image to be sent back as well as preventing picture quality degradation.
To this end, according to one aspect of the present invention, an image transmission apparatus for transmitting image data comprises:
receiving image data storage means for holding receiving image data;
display means for displaying an image of the image data stored in the receiving image data storage means;
input means for entering an additional image to the image displayed on the display means; and
additional image data storage means for holding image data of the additional image entered by the input means.
In the above-described image transmission apparatus, the received image data storage means stores received image data. The thus-received image data are displayed. If an additional image is entered with respect to the displayed image, the data of the thus-entered additional image are stored in the additional image data storage means.
As a result, the history of additions is recorded, which makes it easy to manage images. When compared with the conventional transmission apparatus that holds the original image data and the original image data to which additions have been made, the transmission apparatus stores the received original image data and the additional image data. As a result, storage memory capacity of the transmission apparatus can be relatively reduced.
The image transmission apparatus should preferably be provided with transmission means for sending the additional image data stored in the additional image data storage means. With this arrangement, the received additional image data are superimposed on the image data by the receiver of the additional image data, and resultant composite image data are displayed at the receiving end. As a result, degradation in picture quality can be prevented. Only the additional image data are sent from the sender of the additional image data, and therefore it is possible to reduce communication time and cost.
The received image data storage means should preferably store the received image data together with an identification code for identifying the image data. Further, the additional image data storage means should preferably store the additional image data together with the identification code for identifying the image data. As a result, the image transmission apparatus that sends the image data is prevented from being occupied by the transmission.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an image transmission apparatus comprises:
receiving means for receiving image data;
received image data storage means for holding the image data received by the receiving means;
display means for displaying an image of the image data stored in the received image data storage means;
input means for entering an additional image with respect to the image displayed on the display means;
additional image data storage means for holding the additional image data input by the input means; and
sending means for sending the additional image data stored in the additional image data storage means.
In the above-described image transmission apparatus, the receiving means receives image data, and the thus-received image data are stored in the received image data storage means. The thus-stored image data are then displayed by the display means. An additional image is entered with respect to the displayed image by the input means, and the additional image data are stored in the additional image data storage means. The thus-stored additional image data are sent by the sending means.
The image data and the additional data should preferably be merged into one composite image by the sender of the image data, and the thus-created composite image should preferably be displayed at the sending end.
As a result, degradation in picture quality can be prevented. Only the additional image data are sent from the sender of the additional image data, and therefore it is possible to reduce communication time and cost.
Upon receipt of the image data, the receiving means should preferably disconnect the communication line between the sender of the image data and the receiver, which enables a reduction in communication time and cost.
Further, the image data should preferably be sent together with an identification code, which prevents the image transmission apparatus at the sending end from being occupied.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, an image transmission apparatus comprises
a transceiver section for sending encoded data of an additional image as well as receiving encoded data of the original image;
an encoding/decoding section for coding data of the additional image as well as decoding the encoded data of the original image;
original image data memory for holding image data of the decoded original image;
a digitizer LCD for entering an additional image with respect to the displayed original image as well as displaying the original image of the image data stored in the original image data; and
additional image data memory for holding data of the entered additional image.
In the above-described image transmission apparatus, the transceiver section receives encoded data of the original image. The thus-received encoded data are decoded by the encoding/decoding section, and image data of the thus-decoded original image are stored in the original image memory. An image of the thus-stored image data of the original image is displayed on the digitizer LCD, and an additional image is entered with respect to the thus-displayed original image. The entered original image is stored in the additional image data memory, and the original image is encoded by the encoding/decoding section. The thus-encoded original image is sent to the sender of the original image data through the transceiver section.
The additional image data is superimposed on the original image data, so that resultantly created composite image is displayed, and therefore degradation in picture quality can be prevented. Moreover, the image transmission apparatus at the receiving end sends only the additional image, which makes it possible to reduce communication time and cost.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, an image transmission apparatus comprises:
sending means for sending image data;
receiving means for receiving additional image data entered with respect to the image data; and
display means for displaying a composite image by superimposing the additional image data on the image data.
In the above-described image transmission apparatus, the sending means sends image data first. The receiving means receives additional image data sent from a receiver, and the thus-received additional image data are superimposed on the image data by the display means. Resultantly created composite image appears on the display means.
Consequently, the image data can be displayed while the additional data is superimposed thereon.